Prince of Fire, Girl of Water
by SilverEyeShinobi
Summary: On the eve of the ball in which Prince Zuko was required to choose his bride, he scans the crowd, reminiscing about the only one he ever truly loved...


Prince of Fire, Girl of Water

Summary: On the eve of the ball in which Prince Zuko was required to choose his bride, he scans the crowd, reminiscing about the only one he ever truly loved...

"Presenting His Highness, Prince Zuko!"

The polite applause annoyed him to no end as Zuko stepped into the massive ball room. His golden eyes scanned the crowd, searching for her. He hoped she'd come.

"Smile pretty for the ladies, Zuzu." His sister, Azula taunted as he approached, leaning against the wall at the back of the room.

"Don't call me that." Zuko growled.

"You're not going to find a wife with _that_ attitude." Azula rolled her eyes. "Oh wait, I forgot, Mai already likes you. Guess you're in luck!"

"Shut up!"

Azula merely snickered. Perfect little princess Azula. She'd found her fiancée when she was sixteen. Although Zuko was asked to find someone at that age as well, he never did. He insisted that he wasn't ready and managed to bump the ball back several years so he wouldn't have to think about it for awhile.

Three years later, when he turned nineteen, his parents set this ball up, no exceptions, no more delays. He was required to find his wife-to-be at this ball. If he didn't, his parents would arrange a marriage for him. He claimed he wasn't interested in anyone, but that was a lie. The truth was, he'd already found someone.

But he knew. He knew that if he told anyone about her, there was potential that either she could be hurt, or he could be banished. Why?

Because the girl he loved wasn't royalty.

She wasn't even Fire Nation.

...

"_Hey! Zuko!"_

"_What do you want, Azula?" Zuko shot his sister a look. For an eight year old, she was the most annoying girl he'd ever known. In fact, he hated girls. Sure, he was ten, so it was only natural for him to fear cooties and think girls were icky, but he was serious. Girls. Were. Crazy. He hated them all._

"_Aww, don't get all pouty on me Zuzu!" Azula whined. "Just come play with us and I'll leave you alone."_

"_No!" Zuko stood up and turned his back on them. Azula, not wanting to let him go, grabbed her older brother by the arm and dragged him towards her friends Ty Lee and Mai._

"_Let go, Azula!" Zuko tried to yank his arm away to no avail. "I don't want to play with you!"_

"_Hey girls, we're going to play a game!" Azula grinned. "Ty Lee, you're with me."_

"_What do we have to do?" Ty Lee asked._

"_We're going to hold Zuko while Mai kisses him!" Azula grinned._

"_WHAT?!" Zuko cried._

_Mai giggled, her pale cheeks flushing bright pink._

_Azula held her brother tight. "Help me, Ty Lee!"_

_Ty Lee laughed and grabbed Zuko's other arm._

"_LET GO!" Zuko tried to pull his arms away, but it was futile. Mai closed in, sticky lips puckered. Reacting on instinct, Zuko kicked out at her, nailing her hard in the stomach. Mai let out a yelp and fell to the ground, sobbing and clutching her gut._

"_ZUKO!" Azula cried as Ty Lee rushed to Mai's aid. "Look what you did! I'm telling mom!"_

_Not wanting to take the blame for hurting a girl, Zuko turned on his heel and ran. He barrelled past several servants and guards before diving into his overlarge bedroom. It was far too big for someone of his age, but he never complained._

_Zuko pulled his closet open, knowing just what he was going for. He had a set of commoner's clothes hidden away in a box in a secret passage way behind his massive racks of clothes. He pushed his way through the silk and fine linen and pulled the rug back, exposing a trap door. He yanked it open and slid inside, dropping into the dark room below. _

_Feeling his way around the small, earthy room, he found the box and opened it quickly. He stripped off his royal garb and replaced it with cotton shirts and pants. He had no shoes so he went barefoot. He shoved his clothes into the box and stood up again, feeling his way down the corridor. When he emerged, he was in the outer courtyard of the palace. Sneaking past the guards was easy. He was small enough to worm his way through the grate in the moat. And pretty soon, he was out in civilization._

_Zuko ran down the path, his bare feet slapping into the hard rock. He didn't mind though. He'd done this often enough. _

_Not really wanting to be seen by the aristocrats, Zuko wormed his way through back alleys and back yards. Slowly, he found his way to the commoner's quarters where he slowed to a walk. Nobody recognized him in normal garb. People probably just thought of him as an orphan. An orphan with really clean hair._

_Zuko smiled as he spotted his destination in the distance. It was a small deserted island not too far off the coast of Ash Bay. It was neutral territory, but nobody really paid it much thought. It was just a little island nobody cared about._

_Zuko climbed over the rocks in Ash Bay. When he was far enough out, he leapt into the water and began to swim. He was a strong swimmer, something he'd taught himself to do. Even though he was small, he had made his way over to the island within ten minutes. When he pulled himself out of the water, he sighed in relief, flopping down onto the hot sand. Here, he didn't have to be Zuko. Here, he could just be a kid._

_He basked in the sunlight for a few minutes, feeling warmer by the minute. Finally, he stood up and went for a walk all along the beach. Off in the distance, he could see the chain of islands where the Water Tribe lived. They didn't associate with the Fire Nation, and the Fire Nation didn't associate with them. They'd reached a peaceful truce simply by ignoring each other's presence. And that worked out for both countries. The only time they ever interacted was when they traded goods. The Fire Nation gave them metals, and in return the Water Tribe gave them fish. It was a win-win truce. Or at least, that's what Zuko grew up thinking._

_A gasp sounded behind him. Zuko turned around on instinct, seeing a little girl about his age. She was wearing pale blue, and her long, dark brown hair was tied back in a braid and two loops. Her bright, sky blue eyes were wide as they stared into his golden ones._

"_O-Oh!" The girl gasped, taking a step back and covering her mouth. "Y-You're Fire Nation..."_

"_Well yeah." Zuko ran a hand through his now salt encrusted black hair. "You're Water Tribe."_

"_My mommy says never to speak to anyone from the Fire Nation."_

"_Really? Mine never mentions you."_

_The girl bit her lip. "Why are you here?"_

"_I come here a lot. I swim here and just...stay for a bit."_

"_You _swim_ here?" She asked, sounding shocked. "I didn't know Fire Nation could swim."_

"_Well of course we can. Well, I can. I'm not sure about everyone else but..." Zuko trailed off, glancing at her. He smiled. "My name's Zuko. What's yours?"_

_At that moment, Zuko felt like an idiot, giving his real name. What if she knew about him?_

"_Zuko, huh? I'm Katara. It's nice to meet you." She smiled back. "Maybe some of the Fire Nation isn't so bad."_

_Zuko grinned. "Want to collect lychee nuts?"_

_Katara giggled. "Yes! Let's go!" She turned on her heel and dashed into the woods. Zuko laughed and followed her, at the time not realizing how deep their friendship would become._

_..._

"Zuko."

Zuko was jarred from his memory by his father's voice. The Fire Lord Ozai was staring at him with sharp, yellow eyes. They were so similar to a hawk that Zuko always had trouble keeping eye contact with his father.

"Remember, today you must choose your bride otherwise it will be chosen for you." Ozai stated.

"I know, father." Zuko stated. He turned and scanned the crowd once more. On occasion, a new arrival would filter into the ball room. None of them was the one he wanted to see.

_Katara,_ he thought. _Where are you?_

...

_It was getting harder for Zuko to escape the castle now that he was fourteen. He'd grown taller, broader, and he'd put on a layer of muscle that made it difficult to slip through the grate in the moat. Luckily for him, age had also attacked the grate, allowing Zuko to kick one of the rusted metal bars out and swim through that way. He just had to be careful not to cut himself on the jagged edges._

_When Zuko had slipped out of the castle once more, he ran through the aristocrat's quarter, as always. Today was a special day. Today was the day he'd see Katara again. But not just Katara. She'd brought her parents with her to meet him on the last visit. That had been about a week ago. She was meeting him on the island again, but this time, he'd be going back to the Water Tribe's island to have lunch with her family. Zuko was nervous, but it was a good kind of nervous._

_Zuko hopped the rocks easily and dove into the water, his baggy clothes rippling with the movement. His swimming had improved over the years. He could now reach the island within five minutes, a feat which, according to Katara, rivalled that of the Water Tribes greatest divers._

_Zuko pulled himself onto the beach of the island and shook the water out of his hair._

"_Zuko!"_

_Zuko smiled just before Katara leapt into his arms. He returned the hug, smiling brightly. As the years went by, he'd grown to care about Katara in ways he'd never felt for a girl before. He really wanted to see her happy, and he really liked being with her. Whenever he was in the palace, Katara was always on his mind. He'd count down the days until he'd be meeting Katara back on the island. His entire life revolved around the Water Tribe girl._

"_So are we heading out?" Zuko asked._

_Katara smiled. "Yup. My tribe received fair warning that someone from the Fire Nation was coming."_

"_They don't mind?"_

"_No. They figured that since I've been meeting you for years you were perfectly safe."_

_Zuko laughed, a thing he never did when he was around his family._

_Katara led him towards the shore closest to the Water Tribe's island chains. "We won't have to do much swimming until we reach the sandbar over there. We have to wade for now though." Katara said._

_Zuko smiled. "Great. Race you there." He took off at a run._

_Katara laughed and followed him, splashing right behind him. Zuko met too much resistance as the water suddenly reached his knees and he tripped, falling straight into the water and receiving a brutal brain flush of water up his nose. He came up sputtering just as Katara dolphin dived to get through the deeper area of water. Zuko leapt up and ran after her, or at least tried to. He slugged his way through the water, getting more and more exhausted by the second. _

_Katara turned to glance back at him. "Are you doing all right, Zuko?"_

_Zuko waved at her. "Fine!" He stepped up onto the sandbar beside Katara, the water now up to his ankles. They were already quite close to the Water Tribe islands._

"_Just follow me, okay Zuko?" Katara said with a smile. "And try to keep up." She dove into the water and began to swim away. Zuko followed her, keeping up with her easily. If Katara was surprised, she didn't show it._

_After a few minutes, Zuko's feet hit sand and he climbed out of the water, just behind Katara. She turned to him and grinned._

"_Wow. I'm impressed that you could keep up with me." She said with a smile._

"_Well, I've had a few years of practice." Zuko shook his head, ridding the water from it._

_Katara laughed. "Follow me."_

_Zuko followed Katara through her island village. The Water Tribe island chain consisted of seven islands, all of them connected by bridges or ferries depending on how far apart they were. Several members of the Water Tribe shot nervous glances at him, but Zuko merely bowed to them, showing respect and gave a genuine smile, showing he wasn't here to hurt anybody. They seemed to relax after awhile._

_Zuko thought it was ironic that he was bowing to commoners. Okay, they were Water Tribe, but really. He was the crowned prince of the Fire Nation. As far as he knew, Katara didn't know that. But he didn't want to ruin their friendship by telling her. Regardless, Zuko was now on foreign territory. He had to show them respect, because here, he was nothing. They were his superiors, regardless of his title back in the Fire Nation._

_Katara pushed open a door in one of the houses. "Mom! I'm back! And I brought Zuko!"_

"_Oh, so _you're_ the Fire Nation guy Katara's always talking about." A young boy said in the corner. He was around Katara's age and he was staring at him suspiciously._

"_I'm guessing you're Sokka." Zuko said with a smile. "It's nice to meet you." He bowed to him._

_Zuko quickly made friends with Katara's family. Yes, they already knew of his existence, but it was nice to be liked by someone outside of the Fire Nation._

_As the day wore on, several Water Tribe members gathered in Katara's house to hear Zuko's stories from the Fire Nation. He told stories about there being two sections of the city, one half for normal people, and the other half for aristocrats. The Water Tribe didn't understand any of it, thinking it foolish to dictate social status from the amount of money someone had. Regardless, the children liked Zuko's stories of dragons and legendary warriors who could control fire._

_When the time came for Zuko to leave, several people waved goodbye, some even shook his hand. Others slapped him on the back, gestures that were unheard of back at the palace. Zuko amused himself, thinking about what his father would say if he found out where he was and what he was doing._

_Katara and Zuko swam back to the island as the sun began to creep towards the horizon. They were silent as they swam, save for the occasional gasp for air when the time called for it. When the two of them hit the sandbar once again, Zuko felt a moment of sadness, not wanting to leave Katara behind once again._

_The sand squished beneath his feet as they faced the Fire Nation once more. Zuko turned towards Katara and smiled softly._

"_Katara, I...I had a lot of fun today." Zuko said._

_Katara shrugged. "So did I." She smiled timidly, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Your stories were really interesting too. Maybe...Maybe someday you can show me your world too."_

_Zuko grinned. "Of course. Although, the Fire Nation is a lot bigger than the Water Tribe. And we're not exactly a close knit community. So you'll have to disguise yourself as Fire Nation."_

"_That's fine." Katara smiled. "Tell you what: you pick me up some Fire Nation clothes, and in a few weeks, you can take me over there. Deal?"_

_Zuko grinned. "Deal."_

_..._

Zuko stared down at the food on his plate, wondering whether to eat it. Mai was sitting right beside him, blahing on about something he really didn't care about. It might've been about fruit tarts, but Zuko didn't care.

"Zuko."

"Huh?" Zuko looked up at his mother, Ursa. She was smiling at him warmly.

"Can we have a talk?" She asked.

Zuko nodded. "Sure." He stood up, grateful to get away from Mai. He followed Ursa out of the ballroom and into the courtyard. She turned to face him, that warm smile still on her face.

"How are you doing?" She asked.

"Fine I guess." Zuko had been about to run a hand through his hair when he remembered it was all tied up in that hairclip at the top of his head. Stupid thing.

"You haven't found anyone?"

"No! That's the thing!" Zuko clenched his fists. He looked up at Ursa, seeing her pleading eyes. He sighed. "Please don't tell dad."

"About what?"

"I already love someone. But she's not an aristocrat."

"Zuko..."

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's true." Zuko stared desperately at Ursa. "I love her more than anything!" He felt tears burning at the back of his eyes.

"All right, Zuko." Ursa said softly. "Where is this girl?"

"Not in the Fire Nation." Zuko whispered. "She's Water Tribe. And she hasn't talked to me for three years."

"Why not?"

Zuko stared at the grass beneath his feet. "Because she found out who I really was."

...

_Zuko wasn't able to go through with his promise to Katara until he was sixteen._

_He met up with her on the island that day, Fire Nation clothes in hand. The moment she saw him, she ran over and threw her arms around him._

"_I've missed you." She whispered just before she pressed her lips against his._

_Zuko smiled. "I've missed you too." He returned the kiss, running a hand down the back of her head for a moment. "Now come on, we're losing good daylight."_

_Katara laughed and took the Fire Nation clothes Zuko had gotten for her. He stood on the beach as she ducked into the bushes to change. He couldn't believe he was taking her into the Fire Nation. He had a hard time keeping a level head with all of the excitement he was feeling. _

"_How do I look?"_

_Zuko turned and felt his heart skip a beat. Simply put it, she looked fantastic. It was as if she was born to wear Fire Nation clothes. _

_Zuko stepped towards her and smiled. "Like a Fire Nation girl. Let's go."_

_She laughed and ran into the water, the thought of ruining her new outfit in the sea never entering her mind. That's one thing that Zuko loved about her. She didn't care about appearances. _

_Zuko smiled and swam after her, the two of them reaching shore in record time. He led her up to the commoners area of the city, and instantly, her jaw dropped like a country bumpkins._

"_Wow Zuko! It's amazing!"_

"_Well, I have to admit, your village is pretty amazing too."_

"_Aw, you're just saying that."_

"_I'm not." Zuko smiled. "It's really great that everyone is like a big family. Here, it's just…big."_

_Katara laughed. "Well, my parents asked me if I could get some souvenirs to bring back to them."_

"_Well, whatever you'd like, I'll get it for you."_

"_Aw, thanks Zuko. But really, don't worry about it."_

_Zuko smiled. "Well, I want to get you something. That's okay, right?"_

_Katara shrugged. "Fine, fine. I give up."_

_Zuko laughed and slid his hand into hers. "Come on. I'll show you the marketplace."_

…

_Nobody in the Fire Nation cared that two teenagers, clearly soaked to the bone from a swim in the ocean, were wandering through the markets. For that, Zuko was grateful. He just hoped nobody would recognize him, especially considering Katara kept calling his name._

"_Zuko! Come look at these!"_

_Zuko pretended he didn't notice the way the villagers heads swivelled around, searching for the bearer of the name Zuko. Several eyes passed right over him, nobody seeing the prince in the teenager dressed as a commoner._

_Zuko stood beside Katara as she examined a pretty little pendant bearing the Fire Nation symbol._

"_Katara, can I speak to you for a moment?" He asked._

"_Sure." Katara turned her gaze on him. "What is it?"_

"_Uh, try not to use my name all the time while we're here, all right?"_

"_Why?" Katara asked, tilting her head to the side._

"_Just...because, okay?"_

"_Okay..." Katara turned back towards the trinkets, heading into the shop. Zuko glanced at the Fire Nation symbol pendant for a moment, considering the thought of her wearing it. He shrugged and followed her as she continued to examine the odds and ends that were scattered throughout the village._

"_What do you think, Zuko?" Katara suddenly asked, turning towards him and showing him a red choker. At the mention of his name, the shop keeper looked up, forcing Zuko to stay quiet for a few moments before turning towards Katara. She had a guilty look on her face, like she'd just broken some kind of pact._

"_It looks great." Zuko said honestly. "Want to try it on?"_

_Katara nodded and Zuko helped her put it on. It looked fantastic on her. _

"_I love it!" Katara said with a smile. "Can I have it?"_

"_Of course." Zuko took it off her neck and stepped up to the shop keeper and bought the necklace for her. He handed it back and she quickly slipped it on with a smile._

"_Thanks, Zuko." She winced. "Sorry. I keep forgetting."_

"_It's fine." Zuko muttered, receiving very suspicious glances now. "Come on. Let's go somewhere else. I'll get you something to eat."_

"_Okay!" Katara grinned, and took his hand as they headed out of the marketplace, Zuko feeling more nervous than he had in his life. What if Katara found out he was the prince of the Fire Nation? He didn't want to find out._

_..._

_As the sun began to lean towards the west, Zuko began leading Katara back towards the ocean. Luckily, lunch and the rest of the day had gone without a hitch. He'd forgotten that Katara had half shouted his name through the market. Never once did he think the rumours would spread._

_Nor did he think a messenger would run through the streets shouting the message that would divide him from the girl he loved._

"_...ball to be held for Prince Zuko!" Someone shouted._

"_Eh?" Katara turned. "_Prince_ Zuko?" She looked at him sideways. "But isn't your name...?"_

"_It's a coincidence. Let's go. Please."_

_The messenger ran past them, tossing flyers everywhere. Before Zuko could react, Katara reached down and grabbed one. Zuko's heart nearly stopped. His face was plastered right in the middle of the flyer._

"_Royal ball to be held for Prince Zuko?" She glanced at the face on the portrait. Her eyes suddenly widened in surprise. She dropped the flyer and turned towards him. "You…" She whispered. "All this time... You were..."_

"_No, Katara, please…"_

"_You're a liar! You never told me!"_

"_I thought-"_

"_I don't care what you thought. Goodbye, Zuko." She hissed._

_Then she turned and ran for the beach, heading home._

_..._

_For three years Zuko searched for Katara. He'd managed to put off the ball until he was nineteen, but even then, he was running out of time. He had to find Katara again. But he never found her. He found her Fire Nation clothes abandoned in a bush, singed in places as she had clearly tried to burn them. But because they were wet, not much really happened. Zuko was happy to see that she had kept her necklace. At the very least, she had something to remember him by._

_Zuko tried to leave letters for her, explaining why he never told her who he was. She never left responses, but the letters always disappeared. He assumed she was getting them, but the lack of communication with her left his heart aching._

_Zuko slowly lost all reason to smile. He couldn't think of anything to do other than to hope that he would see Katara again. But as his ball approached, hope turned into helplessness. If he didn't contact her soon, there would be no way he would see her again. Ever._

_When his father made the invitations for his ball, Zuko stole one and slipped it in his shirt. He knew that nobody would be able to get in without an invitation. He had one chance to get it to Katara. One chance to right all of the wrongs he ever did._

_Zuko returned to his room and wrote a final letter to Katara before sliding it into a jar to protect it from the water. He slid the invitation beside it and headed into his closet to take the secret passage way out of the castle and get to the island._

_Zuko dodged through the aristocrats houses effortlessly, and slipped through the commoners quarters to the water without being noticed. He checked the seal on the jar one more time, making sure it was watertight before leaping into the water. The weight of the jar felt heavy. As if what it held was essential to his destiny. He had to get it to Katara, otherwise he'd never see her again._

_Zuko slid from the water and ran around the island to the side facing the Water Tribe's islands. He stared longingly out towards them, imagining Katara living her life happily wherever she was._

_He shoved the jar into the sand beneath a tree, the spot where he always left his letters. Katara would find it._

_Or so he really hoped._

_..._

The ball was half over now. Zuko was losing hope. His mother hadn't told anyone what he had told her. For that, Zuko was grateful. But it did him nothing. He wouldn't ever be happy without Katara, and he couldn't abandon his country to visit the Water Tribe. Chances are, she had already told everyone who he was.

Ozai stood up to give his speech, blahing about how _proud_ he was of his son and that by the end of the night, he would choose his bride. Zuko hoped he would keep talking. It would give Katara more time to come, should she choose to come. Unfortunately, his father was the master of short and sweet. He announced the start of the dancing. It required him to stand up and dance with every single girl in the room.

Every moment felt like a lie. He stared into the eyes of every Fire Nation princess in the aristocratic quarters of the city. All of them smiled at him warmly, but Zuko couldn't return that smile.

When the dancing ended, his father approached him once more.

"Zuko. Have you chosen yet?" He asked.

"No." Zuko stated. "I haven't."

"Well get a move on."

Zuko sighed and turned back towards the dance floor where princesses were twisting and turning with anyone they could dance with, trying to look pretty. His eyes were drawn back to the doors leading out the courtyard. For a moment, he saw a figure wearing a simple, yet pretty blue dress. Blue. Zuko's heart leapt and he instantly marched toward the door. Everyone got out of his way and the figure in the door quickly retreated away.

Zuko ran to catch up, doing everything he could to not sprint like his life depended on it. The blisters on his feet split open, but he couldn't stop running.

Then he saw her. She was facing him, her blue eyes staring into hers, her face surprised.

"Z-Zuko?" She whispered.

"Katara?" Zuko said back.

Katara hesitated for a moment and stepped towards him. "I don't recognize you with your hair up like that."

Without hesitation, Zuko reached for the crown on the top of his head and pulled it from his hair. Instantly, his shaggy black hair fell down on and around his face.

"Now do you recognize me?" Zuko asked.

Katara nodded slowly. "Can we talk? Please?"

"Sure."

"On the island. I brought a boat."

Zuko glanced back at the ballroom and decided his father could go to hell. He turned back to her and nodded.

"Yes. Come on." Zuko led Katara towards the gates.

"Your Highness! Where are you going?" A guard asked.

"For a walk. Don't you dare tell my father."

"U-Understood, sir..."

Zuko walked quickly, tailed by Katara. They were silent as they headed down to the beach where Katara's boat waited. They stepped inside and Katara pushed off, paddling it easily and effortlessly. Zuko tried to smile, but for all he knew, this would be the last time he ever saw Katara. The thought was just too painful to think about.

The boat bumped into the shores of the island. Zuko got out first, pulling the boat further up the bank. He offered his hand to Katara, but she leapt out on her own, turning to face him.

"What did you want to talk about?" Zuko asked.

Katara looked at her feet for a moment, as if wondering where to start. She looked back up after a moment.

"I guess I should say...I'm sorry for being such a child." She stated.

"What do you mean?"

"When I found out you were a prince, I felt so cheated and lied to." She had tears in her eyes, but Zuko didn't dare approach until she'd finished speaking. "You never told me, Zuko." She wiped her face. "I kept coming back to the island after dark, trying to avoid you. But you kept leaving me letters. I took them back to destroy them, but I couldn't ever bring myself to do it, so I stuffed them all in a box and hid them under my bed.

"But then I got your invitation, and I was going to hide that away as well, but my mother found it and read it. She told me to read it and I..." She burst into tears. "I'm so sorry, Zuko..."

Zuko stepped towards her and pulled her into his arms, not caring that his really expensive outfit was going to be ruined by her tears. It would be worth it. Completely and utterly.

"I read the rest of your letters and now I understand why you never told me." She sobbed. "So I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"It's all right, Katara." Zuko ran a hand through her hair.

"I really missed you, Zuko."

"I missed you too."

...

For the first time in three years, Zuko could smile. And it felt good to do so. He had Katara back and she was going back to the ball with him.

"You'll be all right, Katara?" Zuko asked as they stepped into the aristocratic quarters of the city.

Katara nodded. "Yes. Just as long as I can still see my family from time to time."

Zuko smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

As the two of them stepped up to the castle arm in arm, the guards jumped to attention.

"You've returned!" The guard said in surprise. "Welcome back."

"Thank you." Zuko stepped through the gate, his eyes falling on three figures standing in the door to the ballroom. He paled slightly, realizing who it was.

His mother ran forward. "Zuko, I was so worried."

"I'm fine mom." Zuko smiled. "Mom, I'd like you to meet Katara." He turned to Katara. "Katara, this is my mother."

"It's wonderful to meet you, Katara." His mother said with a smile.

"Katara?" Zuko's father stepped forward. "That's not a Fire Nation name."

"No, honey. She's Water Tribe." His mom said.

"WHAT?!" Azula stepped forward, her eyes wide with horror.

"This is who I want to marry." Zuko stated.

Ozai and Azula looked like they were going to have an aneurism.

"Well then, let's go give the announcement." His mom said, still smiling warmly.

Zuko looked at Katara, a smile on his face. Katara nodded and the two of them stepped into the ballroom together.


End file.
